Indicating device.



0. WI BEDELL. INDIGATING DEVIGE. APPLIOATION FILED 1113.24, 1913.

1,131,314. Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

CLINTON W. BEDELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

rnnica'rine natures.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLINTON W. BEDELL,

oi figure.

Thaiobject of the present invention is to provi e an economical, simple and compact indicating, which by its construction and the arrangemhut of its parts may be adapted to various uses, wherein it is desirable or expedient to use means to quickly or rapidly compute or indieate the sum of a plurality of known figures amounts. 7

,A further object of my invention is the production of a device of the character.

above set forth, which, while adaptable to various uses, is especially applicable to the requirements of those making use of the parcels post system and is arranged and intended to instantly and correctly indicate the various rates of postageon packages of dilferent weights to be mailed to destinations withinthe several zones adopted and promulgated by the Post Oiiice Department in carrying the parcels post system intd eitfeet.

Briefly stated, my invention comprises a plurality of plates ofany convenient con figuration or contour, between which are mounted a series of rotatable disks bearing indicating figures, which are adapted to cooperate with certain indicating mediums on saidplates in the mannen as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

I will nowdescribe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, then point outwith more particularity the essential element of novelrv therein in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved indicator showing what I prefer to term the top plate, a portion thereof being removed to display one of the in: dicating disks; Fig. 2 is a similar view of the opposed or bottom plate having a portion cut away to disclose the reverse side of the disk shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a view of fipeeincatzlon of Letters Yet-ant.

one side of my device as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, Fig. i is a section of the device shown in Fig. 1 illustrating a modified form there- 045, wherein the reading or sight openings are of a difierent type than those shown in Fig. 1, and Fig; 5 is a view of the reverse side of the structure shown in Figs, its relation thereto being similar to the rela: tion of Fig. 2 to Fig. l.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, in which like characters of reference are employed to designate similar parts throughout the several views, 7 is a plate of any convenient size, preferably of rectangular configuration, as shown, but which may be provided with'rounded corners and plates 7 and 8 heing adapted tov form the top member of my device and the other the bottom or base member. Located on the Patented Mai-.9, 1915; Application filed sa 24, ms. Serial in. 750,093.

I which may be made of card board, celluloid,

opposite parallel edges 10 and 11 of each.

of the plates 7 and 8 are a plurality of slots or sight openings 12, preferably of the con figuration illustrated and arranged as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

For the sake of clearness and convenience of description, I will hereinafter refer tothe plate 7 as the top plate of my device, it being understood that the arrangement vof the slots or sight openings 12 in each plate is the same so that when the device is assembled the slots on one plate are posi-. tioned directly opposite the corresponding slots of the other plate.

Pivotally mounted between the \plates 7 and 8 are a plurality of rotatable disks 13, the pins or other'suitable pivots 14 passing through the plate 7 and 8 thereby serving to secure all of the parts of my device in assembled and cooperative relation. It will be noted that the disks 13 are so disposed between the plates with relation to the slots or openings 12 that the portions of both surfaces of each disk contiguous to the slots 19 in the plates 7 and 8, adjacent to which each disk is positioned, are disclosed to view simultaneously, the peripheries 16 of the re spective disks protruding slightly beyond the outer edges of. the slots to provide a surface on which a suilicient purchase may be obtained to rotate the disks for the purposes hereinafter set forth.

As will be apparent from the drawings, the outer surface of each plate 7 and 8 may be embellished with any suitable or desired indicia or the like in connection with which my invention may be adaptable. In the present embodiment of any invention, the

. top plate 7 has printed upon its outer surface a zone table 17 used in connection with the parcels post system. Adjacent and preferably below each slot or opening 12 on the top plate are arranged the letters lbs denoting pounds, the particular zone for which the respective disks are to be used being suitably indicated on the surface of the plate directly over each disk.

The surface of each disk 13, as will be manifest from the drawings, contiguous to the underside of the top plate 7 is provided with suitable numerals 18 to indicate the fixed or specified weights of parcels or packages which may be mailed under the par eels post rules, each numeral being located adjacent to the periphery of its disk, so that when the rate of postage on a package of a certain known weight within a specified zone is to be determined, the disk of the particular zone is rotated until the proper weight numeral. appears within the slot for that disk. This operation simultaneously causes the exact amount of postage to be affixed to the package, to be displayed within the corresponding: or cents slot 12 of that disk in the bottom or under plate 8, the arbitrary rate of postage 19 forthat weight and Zone beinc: printed or otherwise indicated on the surface of the disk 18 adjacent to the innersidc of the plate 8, and directly in line with the weight numeral on the opposite surface of the disk.

As an example of" the operation of my device. to determine the rate of postage on a package weighing five pounds. to be carried within none 4. the disk for that zone will be rotated until the figure 5 appears within the lbs. slot as shown in Fig. 1. By this operation the correct postage rate thirty-two cents for five pounds within zone four is displayed within the slot on the bottom plate (see Fig. 2) so that the postage rate may be instantly found by the simple expedient of reversing or turning ver the device.

In the modification of my invention shown in Figs. 4 and 5, in lieu of the slots 12, I have provided the circular sight openings 20 preferably arranged as shown, these openings 20, having the same function as the slots 12 shown in Figs. 1 to 3 and being similarly oppositely disposed with relation to each other, the arrangement of the plates 7 and 8 and the method of operation and arrangement oi the disks 13 being the same as in the preferred form of my device.

While I have shown ,and described my invention with reference iio a particular embodiment thereof, it is obvious that it is applicable to many other forms of use. and that the structure may be varied in minor details without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is:

1. In a calculating device, the combine-- tion of a pair of superposed plates, one of said plates being provided with weight in dicatingcharacters, the other of said plates having indicia for indicating coin denomh nations, and a plurality of disks interposed between said plates, the surfaces of each disk having numerals thereon of different values relative to said weight characters and said coin indicia and means whereby said disks may be rotated to bring a specified numeral in register with a weight indicia and simultaneously bring a numeral onthe opposite side of the disk into register with a coinindicia. for the purposes specified.

25% a device for indicating postage rates on parcels within specified zones of aparccls post system, the combination of a pair of plates having a plurality of rotatable disks interposed therebetween, one disk beins: provided for each zone in the system, each of said disks having on one surface theerot a series of figures indicating weight, the opposite surface of each disk bearing postage rates as specified for each zone, the prescribed rate for a specific weight of parcel and such weight indicia on the oppotation of a particular disk to bring a certain weight indicia within the adiacent slot, the postage rat'c i'or such weight in the particular zone for which the operated disk is provided, will simultaneously appear within the slot in the opposite plate.

A calculating device consisting: of a pair elf-superposed plates, the surface of one of said plates bearing a distance table sub-divided into zones, said plate being sectioned numerically to correspond with each zone and having weight indicia within each of said sections, the other of said plates bein; sectioned correspondingly to said zone sections of said first-narned plate and provided with coin denomination indicia within each section, and a plurality of disks interposed between said plates and having on their opposite surfaces numerals of different value, and means whereby said disks may be rotated to bring a specified numeral into register with a specified zone section on said first plate to show a given weight 

